Batman (31 page)

Batman and Robin had learned the truth—that the Riddler wasn’t a run-of-the-mill thug, or even a run-of-the-mill mastermind.

It was the idiots and savages who thought the world could be ruled through guns and violence. The real power was in words. He had proved it. Riddles, formed of words and forcing the mind to demand the utmost of itself. Riddles! They were the perfect control. You posed them, and then you watched as your opponent grew interested… then focused… then obsessive to the exclusion of all else.

Yes. This the Riddler had accomplished. Even if both Batman and Robin still walked the streets of Gotham City, he had served notice. In short, everything had worked out just as he had wanted. His gambit had paid off.

Because, as of now, everyone in Gotham City was talking about the Riddler as they had once talked about the Joker.

Imago.

It was a new day in Gotham City, a day defined not by a rictus smile but by a question mark. And the question was:

What would he do next?

Thanks to Bob Kane and Bill Finger, for Batman; to Warner Bros. Interactive and Rocksteady, for the excellent Batman: Arkham games that gave this book its particular version of Gotham City; to Steve Saffel, Alice Nightingale, and Julia Lloyd at Titan, for wrangling a project with a lot of moving parts (one of which was me); to my children, Ian, Emma, and Avi, for their enthusiasm and suggestions about who Batman should fight; and to Lindsay, just, you know, because.

The Riddler’s Gambit
is Alex Irvine’s second Batman book, after
Inferno
. He has written more than thirty other books including originals
Buyout, The Narrows
, and
A Scattering of Jades
. His other licensed work includes novelizations of
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Pacific Rim
, and
Tintin
, as well as books related to
Transformers, Supernatural, Sleepy Hollow
, and the Marvel universe. He lives in Maine.

ALSO AVAILABLE FROM TITAN BOOKS

Gotham City is in chaos as the criminal organizations run wild, seeking to fill the void left by the death of the Joker. When Scarecrow threatens to unleash a toxin that will kill thousands of innocents, the result is uncontrollable panic.

Batman sets out to stop the madman. Then a new figure intervenes—a man whose appearance is uncannily like that of the caped crusader. He is the Arkham Knight, and he seems to know everything there is to know about Batman and his allies.

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